US2008061073A1PendingUtilityA1

Apparatus, system and method for dispensing wipes

52
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Sep 12, 2006Filed: May 30, 2007Published: Mar 13, 2008
Est. expirySep 12, 2026(~0.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:John Laroche
A47K 10/421A47K 10/426
52
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

An apparatus, a system and a method for dispensing pre-impregnated household, car, utility and personal cleaning wipes are provided. The wipes dispensing apparatus, system and method allow a wipes cartridge of wipes to connect to a front cover that attaches to a back mounting shell. The wipes cartridge may have grooves that accept tracks from the front cover to connect the wipes cartridge to the front cover. The front cover connects to the back mounting shell to form a wipes dispenser unit. The back mounting shell may have an angled plate that projects toward the cartridge of wipes to position the wipes for access. A plurality of wipes dispenser units may be connected to provide different wipes of different intended uses. The wipes of the plurality of wipes dispenser units may be differentiated by a color, text, graphic symbol and/or fragrance associated with intended uses of the wipes. Thus a variety of wipes may be provided by the wipes dispenser units without uncertainty as to the intended use of each one of the wipes.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An apparatus for dispensing wipes, the apparatus comprising:
 a back piece having a planar surface that is generally rectangular;   a front piece having a front surface wherein the front piece attaches to the back piece wherein attaching the front piece to the back piece defines an interior wherein the front surface of the front piece is positioned opposite to the planar surface of the back piece;   an opening in the front surface of the front piece wherein the opening provides access to the interior;   a wipes cartridge in the interior wherein the wipes cartridge has an opening that resides within the opening in the front surface of the front piece wherein the opening in the front surface of the front piece and the opening in the wipes cartridge provide access to the wipes; and   a protrusion that extends from the planar surface of the back piece into the interior wherein the protrusion has an end portion wherein the end portion of the protrusion extends in a direction toward the front piece and contacts the wipes cartridge to push the wipes in a direction toward the opening in the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 walls in the back piece wherein the walls extend from the planar surface to connect the back piece to the front piece.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 walls in the front piece wherein the walls extend from the front surface to connect the front piece to the back piece.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a raised portion of the wipes cartridge that abuts the opening of the wipes cartridge wherein the raised portion of the wipes cartridge has a size and a shape approximately identical to a size and a shape of the opening in the front surface of the front piece wherein connecting the wipes cartridge to the front piece fits the raised portion into the opening in the front surface of the front piece.   
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 grooves in the wipes cartridge that insert into tracks in the front piece to connect the wipes cartridge to the front piece.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a door that is spring-loaded wherein the door opens to provide access to the wipes.   
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a door on the wipes cartridge wherein the door opens to provide access to the wipes.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a door on the front piece wherein the door opens to provide access to the opening in the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a label on the wipes cartridge wherein the label is visible through the opening in the front surface of the front piece.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a protrusion that extends from the back piece in a direction toward the wipes cartridge wherein the protrusion contacts the wipes cartridge and positions the wipes adjacent to the opening in the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plate in the wipes cartridge wherein pushing the plate toward the opening in the front surface of the front piece positions the wipes adjacent to the opening in the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the back piece is made from a first material and the front piece is made from a second material wherein the first material is more flexible than the second material. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a tab on the front piece wherein pushing the tab allows the front piece to separate from the back piece.   
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a hole in the planar surface of the back piece wherein a screw through the hole mounts the back piece.   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an additional dispensing unit attached to the back piece wherein the additional dispensing unit provides access to a second set of wipes.   
   
   
       16 . A method for dispensing wipes, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a first dispensing unit wherein a wipes cartridge within the first dispensing unit has the wipes wherein the first dispensing unit has an opening that provides access to the wipes cartridge wherein an opening in the wipes cartridge provides access to the wipes;   pushing the wipes in a direction toward the opening using a protrusion within the first dispensing unit wherein the protrusion projects in a direction toward the opening and contacts the wipes cartridge;   opening a door attached to the first dispensing unit wherein the door covers the opening in the wipes cartridge to seal the wipes within the wipes cartridge wherein the door opens to provide access to the opening in the wipes cartridge; and   removing one of the wipes from the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of:
 closing the door to reseal the wipes within the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of:
 mounting the dispensing unit on a wall using connecting means inserted through the first dispensing unit.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of:
 providing a second dispensing unit adjacent to the first dispensing unit.   
   
   
       20 . A system for dispensing wipes, the system comprising:
 a wipes cartridge that contains the wipes wherein the wipes cartridge has an opening and a raised portion that abuts the opening wherein the raised portion has a left side and a right side wherein the right side is in a position opposite to the left side;   a left groove on the left side of the raised portion of the wipes cartridge;   a right groove on the right side of the raised portion of the wipes cartridge;   a front cover having a front surface wherein the front surface has a first wall and a second wall wherein the first wall and the second wall extend from the front surface;   an opening in the front surface of the front cover wherein the opening has a left side and a right side wherein the right side is in a position opposite to the left side;   a left track that projects from the left side of the opening of the front cover and a right track that projects from the right side of the opening of the front cover wherein connecting the left groove of the raised portion of the wipes cartridge to the left track of the front cover and connecting the right groove of the raised portion of the wipes cartridge to the right track of the front cover connects the wipes cartridge to the front cover; and   a back shell having a rear surface wherein the rear surface has a top wall and a bottom wall wherein the top wall and the lower wall connect the back shell to the front cover.   
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising:
 a protrusion on the rear surface of the back shell wherein the protrusion projects in a direction toward the opening in the front cover and contacts the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising:
 a latch attached to the back shell wherein the latch connects an additional dispensing unit.   
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising:
 a door attached to the front surface of the front cover that opens to provide access to the opening in the wipes cartridge.   
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising:
 a window in the front surface of the front cover that allows a label on the wipes cartridge to be visible through the window.

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